Projects

Friends of Blackwater received a grant through Office of Surface Mining (OSMRE, administered by WVDEP) to develop this project to promote hiking, biking and tourism in the Blackwater River area by creating a loop trail to link the towns of Davis & Thomas. PALS:#60885. OSMRE is the lead agency.

Timber stand improvement activities would be conducted on approx. 908 acres; releasing approx. 50-75 crop trees per acre on stands aged 6-15 years old, ranging from 15-42 acres. Activities include hand felling only, no herbicide use or road construction is needed. Estimated decision date: Sept. 2026

Proposal for approximately 15 miles of dual-purpose bike and hiking trails stretching between the Stuart Recreation Area and Bickle Knob. Proposal also includes two overlooks, improved parking areas, and constructing two trail bridges. Originally under PALS #67963.

Proposal to use commercial (237 acres) and non-commercial (94 acres) silvicultural treatments on non-native conifer plantations to reestablish native red spruce and northern hardwood forests. Project documents can be found here: https://usfs-public.box.com/s/pamynhlouw6uv2vgv22d3g9iavkrtpej

The purpose of the Headwaters Red Spruce Restoration project is to maintain existing red spruce stands and increase the extent of red spruce influenced ecosystems in strategic locations within the Gauley Ranger District for improved habitat connectivity at the landscape scale.

The Kennison Mountain proposal seeks to improve forest health, timber stand age class diversity, create and improve wildlife habitat, enhance and expand public recreational and interpretive opportunities and improve stream habitat and watershed conditions.

Proposal to incorporate existing social climber access trails as system trails at Seneca Rocks (1.17 mi), Guide Walls (0.13 mi), and Reeds Creek (0.27 mi). Reroutes of the Landis Trail (approx. 4.31 miles; 5 reroutes). Creation of the new Roy Gap Trail (0.17 miles). Estimated decision: June 2026

The Ruckers Gap Prescribed Burn project proposes timber stand and wildlife habitat improvement activities through prescribed burning and mechanical vegetation treatments across 1400 acres.

Decommissioning an existing communication tower and associated structure at the Spruce Knob Communication site. Proposal includes either temporary existing road widening or short administrative site access construction.

This project aims to remove a dense, aging white pine plantation in order to provide a short-term early successional (high stem) habitat for wildlife species, and ultimately restore a mixed oak forest community in its place.